Sacred Games: Netflix Orders First Original Series from India

Netflix is heading to India. This week, the streaming service announced they’ve ordered a new series based on the novel Sacred Games.

Written by Vikram Chandra, the story takes place in Mumbai and covers the city’s widespread world of crime, political corruption, and espionage.

For the series, Netflix is partnering with the Indian production company Phantom Films. A release date has not yet been set.

From Chandra:

Over the last few years, I’ve watched with great excitement and pleasure as Netflix has transformed narrative television with its ground-breaking, genre-bending shows. I’m confident that all the colour and vitality and music of the fictional world I’ve lived with for so long will come fully alive on the large-scale canvas provided by Netflix. I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix and Phantom Films.”

Read more details below:

Mumbai, India, 6 June 2016 – Netflix Inc., the world’s leading Internet television network, today announced a new Netflix original series based on the critically-acclaimed best-selling novel Sacred Games by Indian author Vikram Chandra. Shot on location in India, this Hindi-English series will be produced in partnership with Phantom Films, one of India’s leading production houses, and be available to Netflix members globally upon completion.

Set in Mumbai, Sacred Games delves into the city’s intricate web of organized crime, corruption, politics and espionage that lie beneath India’s economic renaissance. It is an epic masterwork of exceptional richness and power that interweaves the lives of the privileged, the famous, the wretched and the bloodthirsty. .

“Over the last few years, I’ve watched with great excitement and pleasure as Netflix has transformed narrative television with its ground-breaking, genre-bending shows,” commented Mr. Chandra. “I’m confident that all the colour and vitality and music of the fictional world I’ve lived with for so long will come fully alive on the large-scale canvas provided by Netflix. I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix and Phantom Films.”

“We are very happy to start this journey with Netflix by producing Vikram’s outstanding story, set in Mumbai ” said Madhu Mantena of Phantom Films. “And we are extremely confident that, together we will create some exciting and groundbreaking Television content from hereon.”

“We are delighted to partner with creative powerhouse, Phantom Films, to bring Vikram Chandra’s epic novel to life with the best Indian and global film talent available today,” said Erik Barmack, vice president of international original series at Netflix. ” Sacred Games reinforces our commitment to bring the authenticity of local stories to Netflix members across 190 countries worldwide.”